Children's Home run by New Forest Care Limited in Hampshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 1 SC363268 Registered provider: New Forest Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and registered to provide care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties. There were three children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has recently been appointed and has not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 23 January 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2024 Full Outstanding 21/03/2023 Full Outstanding 08/02/2022 Full Good 02/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 3

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improvement to be good

Some bullying behaviour by the previous manager led to children not always receiving nurturing care. Leaders have responded appropriately, and the new manager has plans to improve the culture of the home. These measures indicate early positives that are not yet embedded and so the impact is not fully known.

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improvement to be good

Children’s educational experiences vary in quality. One of the children struggles to stay in school full time and their attendance is very low. The social work team manager from the placing authority was not aware of this prior to the inspection. Positively, one of the children, who attends the organisation’s school, enjoys learning and goes every day.

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improvement to be good

Not all children are receiving effective support that helps them to maintain healthy routines. One of the children sleeps during the day and not at night. Staff make attempts to wake the child up during the day but have not successfully changed the child’s sleeping pattern. This is having a negative impact on the child’s attendance and achievement in education and their participation in social activities.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff support children to maintain positive relationships with their families. This helps children to have an understanding of their identity and a sense of belonging.

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improvement to be good

Staff meet children’s health needs and ensure that they receive support from healthcare professionals when they need it.

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improvement to be good

Physical restraint is used when necessary to keep children safe. However, children’s plans do not include details of the de-escalation strategies that can be used to try to avoid the need for restraint. Additionally, there is not enough scrutiny of restraints by managers to identify learning that may be used to reduce the risk of a reoccurrence.

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improvement to be good

Children have experienced, and witnessed, bullying behaviour. Consequently, while children have positive relationships with the staff team, they have not gained a sound understanding of how to maintain relationships that are built on trust and mutual respect.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff follow procedures to make sure that children return safely. However, records do not reliably capture children’s motivation for leaving the home or the specific risks that they are exposed to.

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improvement to be good

When children need additional support to understand how to manage their own risks, this is sought for them. One child is being supported by youth offending service to help Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 4 them change their responses when they are upset or angry, and why this is so important.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The senior leadership team recognises that as well as affecting children’s progress and experiences, the bullying culture that has existed in the home has had a negative impact on the emotional well-being of the staff team. They are receiving support from the organisation’s therapy services.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are not receiving supervision at the frequency deemed appropriate by senior leaders. As a result, staff do not have regular opportunities to reflect on their practice or discuss their professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is insufficient management monitoring of children’s local authority care plans to ensure that they are being regularly reviewed and updated. This limits managers’ ability to advocate for children to ensure that they are accessing the resources and support that they need to reach their goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The new manager was appointed in the week prior to the inspection. They demonstrate an understanding of the changes that need to be made to ensure that the support that children receive has a positive impact on their outcomes. As a result, there is a firm basis for improvement in the quality of care to be made. Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)) 31 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)) 31 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 31 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 6 positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)) 31 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 31 May 2025

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Forest Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Shore House, West Street, Hythe, Southampton Hampshire SO45 6AA

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Inspector

Shaheda Dhandia, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC363268 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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